MATURE-AGE rookie Ian Callinan has been promoted to Adelaide's senior list and is in line to make his long-awaited AFL debut in the toughest road trip in football after being named in a 25-man squad to take on Geelong at Skilled Stadium on Sunday.

Callinan, 28, impressed during the pre-season, but his hopes of playing in round one were dashed when he tore his bicep off the bone in the NAB Challenge game against Carlton in March.

The goalkicking midfielder spent three months on the sidelines before making a successful comeback with Central District three weeks ago.

He pushed his name in front of Crows selectors after amassing 30 possessions, seven marks and a goal in only his second SANFL game back from injury last weekend.

Enhancing Callinan's chances of a debut against the Cats is the fact Central District has a bye this weekend, meaning he would be denied an opportunity to gain more match fitness if not selected to play for the Crows.
 
Adelaide won't finalise its team until Friday afternoon, but coach Neil Craig said he was confident the 172cm onballer could handle making his debut against the brilliant Geelong team, which hasn't lost a game at Skilled Stadium since 2007.

"Ian's a mature player and he's played in five [league] grand finals, so it's not as though we're dealing with a 19-year-old, six-game player," Craig said on Thursday.

"We're really keen to have a look at him if it's appropriate.

"He's got a great attitude. He's really level-headed and comes out of a winning environment [at Central District]."

"He's really keen to play and he assures me he plays well at Skilled Stadium."

Midfielder Brad Symes has already been ruled out of the game with a knee injury, but tagger Brent Reilly (knee) will return.

Young onballer Rory Sloane (corked thigh) was restricted to light duties at training on Thursday, but the club is confident he'll make the trip to Geelong
 
The Cats will be without suspended trio Joel Selwood, Mathew Stokes and Josh Hunt, along with veteran Darren Milburn (Achilles), but Craig said the game still loomed as "a huge task" for his team, which has lost its past five games.

"It's an opportunity for a lot of players in our squad to play against the best side of the last five or six years, who haven't lost a game at home in 26 games," he said.

"It's a chance for this team, with where we sit and where we're at, to grow again, experience this and be very positive and go down there [to Geelong] and attack it to the best of our ability."

Adelaide has recorded only three wins this season, but the most alarming aspect of the club's performances has been its lack of competitiveness in games against Melbourne, North Melbourne and the Brisbane Lions.

Prior to this year, the Crows under Craig were renowned for their fighting spirit.

Craig said restoring that reputation and being competitive on a weekly basis was more important than wins on the scoreboard in the second half of the season.

"I don't have to be convinced we can play a high level of football, but what we've got to do for the rest of the season is to start to rebuild the fiercely competitive attitude which people have recognised as being a bit of a trademark of our club over the journey," he said.

"The easy option is to say it's the [inexperienced] group that has caused that [drop off in competitiveness], but then you see Rory Sloane come in as a 21-year-old and play with the aggression that I admire.

"I'm not interested on age or experience. It's time now for us to play much more highly competitive, consistent football.

"I would take that [consistency on a weekly basis] every time for where we need to go rather than five [wins] and five [losses] and still being up and down like we are."

Katrina Gill covers Adelaide news for afl.com.au. Follow her on Twitter: @AFL_KatrinaGill